Electroplating apparatus.



T. A. EDISON. ELEOTROPLATING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1911. 1,0 1 6,8759

Patented Feb.6,1912.

'- formed 'is'removed from the cathode and cut UNITED STATES PATENT .oF IoE.

THOMAS A. smson, or LLEWELLYN PARK, wnsr cannon, :unw messy.-

ELECTROPLIATING APPARATUS.

4 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 28, 1911.

Patented Feb; 1912. SerialNo. 641,104.

5 county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electroplating Apparatus, of which the followim'g is a specification. u

In Letters Patent Nos. 865,687 and 865,688, granted September 10, 1907, and No. 936,525, granted Oct. 12, 1909, I describe processes of making metallic films or flakes intended particularly for use in storage batteries 0f the alkaline type, and consisting generally in electro-plating alternately upon layers of a readily solnblemetal, such as copper, and films-or layers of the desired metal, such as "nickel or cobalt or cobaltnickel alloy. The composite sheet thus into small portions. The small portionsare then treated with suitable reagents, in which copper is soluble, but. which do not affect the nickel or cobalt.

In apparatuswhich I have devised for carrying out the processes described in 'the aforesaid patents, the cathode is dippeda'lternatelv into the copper plating and nickel plating baths After'eac'h removal from a bath, the cathode is washed, preferably-byspraying water upon it, in order to remove the film of the plating solution which clings to it. Hitherto, the wash water containing soluble copper and nickel salts has been wasted.

My present invention'has for its object the provision of simple and eflici'ent means for recovering the valuable constituents of the wash water derived from this and other similar processes.

In order that my invention may be more readily understood, reference is had to the drawing which accompanies and forms a 5 art of this specification, and in which is illustrated, partly diagrammatically, ap-

paratus constituting one embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, a tank 1 is pro- 59 'vided which contains Ta copper plating solo-- t-ion 2, one constituent of which is a soluble salt.- of copper, Qpreferably copper sulfate.

- An anode 3 of copper is contained in the copper, plating solution 2. The anode 3 -is preferably in the form of a hollow cylinder.

Asecond tank 4 is provided which contains a nickel plating'solution 5, one constituent of which is a'soluble. salt of nickel, preferably nickel sulfate. is contained in the nickel plating solution 5.

An anode 6 of nickel )1 The anode 6 is preferably in the form of a hollow cylinder. .Thecathode 7 is prefer ably in the'form of a drum composed of. copper or nickel; The cathode 7 is mounted .upon and supported by a shaft 8, which is provided-with a pulley .9 for rotating the shaft and the cathode supported thereby. The purpose of rotating the'cathode is fully set forth in the patents hereinbefore mentioned. -The' shaft 8 and thec-athode'7 are supported uponmthe frame 10 which is provided with the bearing 11 for receiving the shaft 8. vThe frame 10 is provided with mechanism, (not illustrated) whereby the cathode '7 may be moved into. position over,

let down into. and removed from the electroplating baths contained in either of the tanks 1 and 4. The anodes 3' and '6 are connected to tlie 'positive side of any suitable source of current by means of conductors '12 and 13' respectively. .The other, side of the said source of current is connected to brushes 14;a-nd s15 by conductors 16 and 17 respectively; -The brushes 14 and 15 are arranged to contact with thecathode 7 in what ever position it may occupy. The, framelO is'providedwith projections 18 and 19, the

function of which will be set forth herein-' aft er.

For the purpose of washing the cathode.

7 after it has been removed from either of the baths 2 and 5, nozzles 20 and 21 are provided which are supplied with water from any suitable source by means of pipes 22 and 23 respectively. A spray of water is directed upon the revolving cathode 7 by means of the nozzles 20 and 21. The wash water from thecathode 7 drips into a suitable receptacle 24: whichv islocated between the two tanks 1 and 45 and is provided with a downwardly extending outlet 25. Beneath the outlet 25 a trough 26 or v other suitable receptacle is provided, which is pivotally mounted" upon the shaft 27, and is normally moved into horizontal position means of awpight 28 rigidly connected to the said trough. The said-trough 26 is also cathode 7 is removed from either ofthe low provided with. an upwardly extending and r ficonnecting' the tfoughs 35 and .36'ian'd 1o "'cated' below I 65 flows'from tlie rccep electro-plating baths into position between tlIQIlOZZlGSglZOjbG washed. Inthe position of'the apparatus shown in the drawing, the cathode 7 has been removed from the copper 5 plating bath 2 intovposition between the nozzles, and in this movementthe projection 18'has engagedthe arm 29 and tilted the trough 26 so as to cause the washwater "containing copper sulfate or other soluble 1 copper salt to be emptied into a receptacle 30. It is evident from an'inspection ofrthe drawing thatv as the cathode 7 is moved into position over the nickel plating bath 5, the'trough 26 will regain its horizontal position. After the cathode has been" dipped in and removed from the nickel plating bath 5 and moved'back into position between the nozzles and 21- to be washed,

"the arm 29 will be engaged by the projection .19, and the trough '26 tilted in the other direction, that is to say, in such a direction as to discharge the wash water containing nickel "sulfate or other soluble nickel salt into a receptacle 32'. The receptacle 30 which receii es the wash water containing the copper salt is pro- 'vided with an outlet 31 leading intoaser'ies of troughs 34, 3 5 and 36. Each of these troughs is, rovided with perforated hori- 39 'zontal' partltions 37, 38 and 39fwhich are located tibove and near the bottoms of the troughs. I Each of thetrou'ghs contains metalliciron, preferably inthe form of iron turnings 40, s11pported,"upon the perforated 35 partitions 37, 38 and 39. The wash water containing the copper salt is led into the first trough through'an opening :41 in its lower part and below the partitionfi'fg This a wash water passes up through the opening 0 in the'partition 37, through the kir I ings, through an opening i4.-2 cdiinec th nd" 5 and lotet b p A, g i'througli thefiron" J in the trough "-355 through an open ng 45.

9 the iibnturnl rop turning's through; the openings in rforated partitionjf39 of the trou h 36 ,thrdiigh the iron-turnings I conta ned in the through the outlet which iS Drovidediflfoi "the" ugh 36 and ted above the non manager, A. chemical teactionitake s place 'inthis series of tropg'h between themetalli cr f and the copper ulfate orfotlier solubl copper salt so'l'u 1 hegsresult' of I t thecopper moved from 'appears' ln" the form of I 'rtwl' ille some to solution esca 6b, salt of ironhnd re e eyatweg opp owdery form wh' variety of uses.

the nickel sulfat eel ir 1;

; netallie cd" r ventioir as employed wlth therriron goes" HY t I o. i

33,1and by way of the spout 45 into a tank or other receptacle 46. The tank 46 is supplied continuously with a predetermined stream of a solution of sodium hydroXid or sodium carbonate from atank'47 which is provided with an outlet 51. The tank 47 may be partly filled with solid sodium hydroxid or sodium carbonate, as is shown at 48, and Water supplied from any suitable' source 50. A chemical reaction takes place in the tank 46 between the nickel sulfate or other nickel salt solution and the sodium hydroxid or carbonate, which results in the precipitation of nickel hydroxid' oii nickel carbonate. The precipitated nickelf hydroxid or nickel carbonate isfremov'ed from the tank'46 through a pip,52 by means of a pump 53 and conveyed through a pipe 54 to the filter press 55 The insoluble nickel hydroxid or nickel carbonate'is retained in the filter, press 55, and the liquidireactien' means for recovering both the copper and nickel in useful forms.

I have illustrated described in single cathode and asing'lepair otjp a a ....in is .b fpparatns in w 'ich' "ted indefinitely r now described myinven on, lann and desire "to protect Letters Patent f'the United Statesis as follows 1; e "ctro-plating apparatus, a eathode an uish? adap s (is; a a

th es! euccessively receiving electrolytic depos- 1' s of different metals, means for washing saidcathodecomprising a receptacle #301 receiving theqvash water, a plurality of apparatus 01 separately recovering the 'valumeans for causing the wash water from said. receptaclejto; run lnto any gles ,ejd one of said apparatus substantially ,aslgleseribed.

a plurality; of-statipn ary apparatus for sep-' l tr w g thef valuable constituents the was ater apd. means for causing i the iw ash water tron; said receptacle to; run

11I1lZO anyfdes red; one, of said stationary apparatus, substantially" as described.

able! constituents ot the wash water, and

a soluble salt of another metal, a cathode to be plated with both metals, of means for washing the cathode after removal, from each bath, and means for separating the wash water containing a salt of one metal from the wash water containing a salt of the other metal, substantially as described 1. The combination with an electro-plating bath containing a nickel salt, an electroplating bath containing a copper salt, and acathode to be plated with-both metals, ofmeans for washing the cathode after re moval from each bath, and means for separating the wash water containing a copper salt from the wash water'containinga nickel salt, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an electro-plating bath containing nickel sulfate, an electroplating bath containing copper sulfate, and a cathode to be plated with both metals, of means for washing the cathode after removal from each bath, and means for sepa- -rating the wash water containing copper sulfate from the wash water containing nickel sulfate, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination with an. electro-plating bath containing a soluble salt of one metal, an electro-plating bathcontaining a soluble salt of another metal, a cathode to be plated with both metals, of means for washing the cathode after removal from each bath, means for separating the wash water containing a salt of one metal from the wash water containing a salt of the other metal, and means for recovering the metals in useful form from each wash water solution, substantially as described.-

7. In electro-plating apparatus, the combination with two plating baths consisting of electrolytes which differ from each other in composition, and a cathode arranged to be dipped into each bath alternately, of means for washing the cathode after removal from each bath, and means for divert-' ing the wash water after removal from one bat-h into one channel and the wash water after removal from the other bath into another channel, substantiallyas described.

8. The combination with an electro-plating bath containing a'soluble nickel salt, an electro-plating bath containing a soluble copper salt, a cathode to be plated with alternate layers of copper and nickel, of means for washing the cathode after each layer of metal is deposited, a receptacle containing metallic iron, and means for divert-ing and conveying the wash water con- 'taining a copper salt to the said receptacle,

substantially as described.

9. The combination with an electro-plating bath containing a soluble nickel salt, an

electro-plating bat-h containing a solublecopper salt, a cathode to be plated with alternate layers of copper and nickel, of means for washing the cathode after each layer of metal is deposited, means for converting a soluble nickel salt into insoluble form, and means for diverting and conveying the wash water containing the soluble nickel salt to the said converting -means, substantially as described.

a 10. The combination with an electro-plating bath containing a. soluble nickel salt, an electro-plating bat-h containing a soluble copper salt, a cathode to be plated with alternate layers of copper and nickel, of means for washing the/cathode after each layer of metal is deposited, a receptacle containing metallic iron, means for converting a soluble nickel salt into insoluble form, and

means for diverting and conveying the washwater containing the copper salt to the said receptacle and the wash water containing the soluble nickel salt to the said converting means, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24th day of July 1911.

THOS. A. EDISON.

Witnesses HENRY LANAHAN, ANNA R. KLEHM. 

